Traction-engine.



W. C. VATH.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1915.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916 4 SHEETSSHEET l- W. C. VATH.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1915.

L 1 Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W. C. VATH.

TRACTION'ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-9.1915.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- W. C. VATH. TRA'CTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MM- 9. I915.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- wwwg TRACTION-ENGINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. as, rain.

Application filed. March 9, 1915. Serial No. 13,102.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, WILLIAM C. VATI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lothair, in the county of Hill and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvement 1n carriages and wagons, and more specifically to traction engines.

The object of my invention is to provide a traction engine in which the entire machinery and operation thereof may be under the control of one man. The operator, from his seat, may control the engine, the steering wheel, backing lever, turn corners without assistance, or regulate the transmission of power to auxiliary machines which may be operated by my traction engine, such as a fanning-mill, feed cutter or grinder, corn sheller, pump, churn, blower, and the like. This individual control not only tends toward greater safety in operation, but is also 'an element of economy in operating cost.

'vide an engine to which may be attached a A further object of my invention is to provide a traction engine of such a construction that a .mower and binder may be so attached thereto as to form a part thereof, in that the motive power for the operation of the binder is transmitted directly thereto by the engine, and the need for a grain-wheel is obviated. This greatly lessens the tractive force necessary to operate my engine as a mower and binder.

Another object of my invention is to prorake, spike-toothed harrow, weeder, seed drill, corn or coton'planter or other similar machinery.

A still further object of my inventlon is to provide a tractor having a simple clutch mechanism, and wherein the transmission operates to give the greatest amount of power for the least expenditure of energy. The engine is conveniently located both for cooling and oiling. My device embodies the cardinal points for an engine of this character of simplicity, durability, relatively light in weight, extremely powerful as well as speedy, economical to operate, and easy to handle.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the detailed description and drawings forming a part of this specification.

Furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more particularly described in the following specification and embodied in the claims appended hereunto and forming a part of this application.

Referring now to the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention; Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved traction engine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view of the traction engine taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. t is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the clutch operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view of the front wheel steering mechanism.

Referring further to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views, 1 designates a plurality of drive wheels, spaced apart and mounted on a common axle 2. A frame 3 is mounted on said axle 2 and interposed between said wheels 1, said frame comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending bars 4:, 5, and 6, and a plurality of transversely extending bars 7, 8, and 9, the transmission of my traction engine being located upon said frame 3.

Secured upon the bars 5 and 6 of said frame is an engine 10, preferably a gasolene engine, provided with a reversing mechanism 11 adapted to be controlled by a lever 12. The lever 12 may extend upwardly or downwardly, but for convenience in construction, I prefer to extend the lever of my engine downwardly. To said lever 12 is secured a connecting rod 12 upon the forward end of which is mounted a hand lever 12 The crank shaft 13 of the engine 10 extends forwardly of the frame and is mounted on the cross bar 8 by means of bearings 14. To the forward end of said crank shaft 13 is secured a beveled pinion 15 adapted to mesh with a beveled gear 16 loosely mounted on an intermediate drive shaft 17. A friction disk clutch 18 fixed permanently on the shaft 17 is adapted to cooperate with the beveled gear 16. The shaft 17 is transversely mounted on the frame 3. A pinion 19 is loosely mounted on said shaft opposite the bar 6 with respect to the beveled gear 16. To the inner side of each of said drive wheels 1 is secured, concentric therewith, a gear 20. A transverse shaft 21, mounted on the bars 1, 5, and 6, is provided with pinions 22 fixed to the extremities thereof and adapted to mesh with the gears 20. A gear 23 is fixed to the shaft 21 and interposed between the pinion 22 and the bar 6, adapted to increase the power applied to the wheels 1 through the pinions 22 and the gears 20.

Fixed to the shaft 17 adjacent the outer face of the pinion 19 is a collar 24 forming the female portion of a spur clutch, the male portion being formed on the outer face of said pinion 19. The pinion 19 is provided with a grooved sleeve 25 on the side adjacent the bar 6, and is adapted to receive the short arm of a horizontally disposed L- shaped rack 26. A sector rack lever 27 horizontally pivoted at 28 to the bar (3 is adapted to cotiperate with the teeth of the rack 26. The clutch 18 is provided with a grooved sleeve 29 on the side adjacent the bar 5, said sleeve being adapted to receive the short arm of an Lshaped rack 30. A sector rack lever 31, pivoted at 32 to the bar 9, is adapted to coiiperate' with the teeth of the rack 30. The lever 31 is operated by means of a clutch lever 32 mounted on the end of a forwardly extending shaft 33, to the opposite end of which is secured a pinion 34 adapted to cotiperate with a rack 35, said rack being secured at one end to the sector rack lever 31. The lever 27 is operated by means of a clutch lever 36 mounted on one end of a forwardly extending sleeve 37, said sleeve mounted around said shaft 33, and being relatively shorter than said shaft. To the rearward end of said sleeve is secured-a pinion 38 adapted to cotiperate with a rack 39, said rack being secured at one end to the sector rack lever 27. v A frame comprising two forwardly extending beams 40 and 41, respectively, is mounted near their rearward ends to the outer extremity of the axle 2, on the outside of the drive wheels 1. To the other end of said beams 40 and 41 is secured a transverse beam 42. Upon said beam 42 is mounted one end of a cab 43 to which is secured a binder extension frame 44. Both the cab and the binder frame are reinforced and supported at the rear thereof by bracket rods 45, 46, 47, and 48, rod 46 being so disposed with respect to the outer extremity-of the binder frame as to support the same without the need for a grain-wheel being mounted thereunder for that purpose. To the front end of the cab and binder frame are secured beams 49 and 50, so strengthened by stringers, rafters, and bracket rods as to support the front end of the said cab and binder frame when the forward ends of said beams 49 and 50 are mounted on the front guide wheel 51.

The front guide wheel 51 is formed preferably with parallel flanges 52 circumferentially disposed on the face thereof. A

bolster 53 is mounted on the axle 54 of said wheel, and a gear wheel 55 is horizontally mounted thereon. A pinion 56 is pivotally mounted adjacent the front face of said gear wheel 55 so as to mesh therewith, said pinion being operated by means of beveled gears 57 and 5S, controlled by a steering rod 59, which is secured at one end to the gear 58 and is provided with a. steering wheel (50 on the other end thereof. A plate member '61, formed with an annular groove (32, is

mounted beneath the beams 49 and 50, and a plurality of roller bearings (33 are. pivotally mounted within said groove in spaced apart relation, said rollers contacting with the upper face of said gear wheel thus forming a roller bearing for said front guide wheel 51.

Beams 64 are mounted across the bottom of the cab 43, said beams being adapted to support a binder, not shown. I

A sprocket wheel ()5 is fixed to the intermediate drive shaft 17 at a certain point between the pinion 19 and the beam 41: while a pulley wheel 66 is mounted on the end of said shaft on the outside of said beam. The said sprocket wheel is adapted to revolve a chain, not shown, interposed between said sprocket wheel and a binder, not shown, for the purpose of operating said binder, thereby insuring continuous and smooth running of the binder which, in my device, is mounted upon the tractor and is not dependent upon contact with the earth for its operative power. The said pulley wheel is adapted for transmitting motion to any auxiliary machine wherein the tractor is required to be stationary. lVhen so used, the propulsion gearing of the engine is thrown out of gear with the driving wheels by means of the spur clutch 24, thus directing all of the power of the engine to said pulley wheel.

The utility, adaptability, and advantages of my improved form of traction engine being obvious, it is unnecessary to further enlarge upon the same herein.

Having now described and pointed out the new and useful features of my invention, I do not limit myself to the shape of certain parts where the shape is not essential, nor do I restrict myself to the exact details of construction shown and described, but mean and intend to claim all equivalents and variations thereof nor departing in principle from my invention and falling within the purview of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to procure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a traction engine, the combination of drive wheels, a guide wheel forwardly disposed with respect to said drive wheels, a frame interposed between said drive wheels and said guide wheel, driving mechanism mounted on said frame adapted to transmit motion to said drive wheels, means ineaeea connected With said mechanism for manu ally controlling the same, a bolster mounted upon the axle of said guide wheel, a gear wheel horizontally mounted upon said bolster, an annular grooved plate member mounted above said gear wheel, a plurality of roller bearings mounted in said annular grooved plate, said rollers adapted to roll upon the upper face of said gear wheel, a shaft mounted upon said plate, a pinion mounted upon one end of said shaft adapted to mesh with said gear wheel, a beveled gear mounted upon the other end of said shaft, a cooperating beveled gear adapted to mesh therewith, and a rearwardly extending steering rod secured to said second named beveled gear.

2. A traction engine consisting of a transmission frame, a carrying frame mounted forwardly of said transmission frame, a steering frame mounted forwardly of said carrying frame, drive wheels mounted upon both sides of said transmission frame, driving mechanism mounted upon said transmission frame and operatively connected with said drive wheels, a cab mounted upon said carrying frame, a guide wheel pivotally mounted upon said steering frame in longitudinal alinementwith one of-said drive wheels, control means connected with said driving mechanism and mounted in said cab out of longitudinal alinement with respect to the alinement of saidguide Wheel and said last mentioned driving wheel, and steering means operatively connected with said guide wheel mounted near said control means.

3. A traction engine consisting of a transmission frame, a carrying frame and a steering frame secured together in longitudinal alinement, a plurality of drive wheels mounted on the opposite sides of said transmission frame, mechanism mounted upon said transmission frame for driving said driv wheels, a cab mounted upon said carrying frame and having one end thereof extending laterally beyond said transmission frame, brace rods mounted upon said transmission frame and adapted to suspend the extended end of said cab in a position elevated with respect to the ground, a guide wheel mounted upon said steering frame in longitudinal alinement with one of said drive wheels, and means mounted in said cab for controlling said guide Wheel.

4. A traction engine consisting of a truck frame comprising a transmission frame, a carrying frame and a steering frame, drive wheels mounted upon the sides of said transmission frame, mechanism mounted upon said transmission frame for actuating said drive wheels, a guide wheel mounted upon said steering frame in longitudinal alinement with one of said drive wheels, a cab mounted upon said carrying frame and having one end thereof extending outwardly with respect to said transmission frame, supports interposed between the transmission and steering frames and the outwardly extending end of said cab, means mounted within said cab out of alinement with said guide wheel for controlling the power mechanism of said engine, and means mounted near said last named means for controlling said guide wheel.

5. In a traction engine, in combination with a truck frame comprising a transmission frame, a carrying frame and a steering frame, drive wheels mounted upon said transmission frame, mechanism mounted. upon said transmission frame adapted to actuate said drive wheels, a guide wheel forwardly disposed with respect to and in ion gitudinal alinement with one of said drive wheels, a bolster mounted upon the axle of said guide wheel, a gear Wheel horizontally mounted upon said bolster, an annular grooved plate member mounted to the under side of said steering frame and above said gear wheel, a plurality of roller bearings mounted within said grooved plate and adapted to roll upon the upper face of said gear wheel, said gear being pivotally mounted to said grooved plate, and steering gear mechanism mounted upon said steering frame and extending rearwardly of said truck frame for controlling the tread direction of said guide wheel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. VA'IIH.

Witnesses:

RALPH E. WRIGHT, JonN MCDONALD. 

